This invention relates to solar energy, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for collecting solar energy at a generally upright surface of a building, for example.
Prudent thought and modern day ecological and conservational trends are directing society to find sources of energy as alternatives to petrochemical and fossil fuels and nuclear energy. One such alternative source is solar energy, and it is well known that solar energy collectors may be employed to absorb radiant energy from the sun to allow utilization of that energy for various purposes, such as heating and cooling buildings, particularly dwelling houses.
Known prior art solar energy collectors present a number of substantial disadvantages in their use and application. Prior art solar collectors must generally be mounted on the roof of a building, and it is the usual practice to incorporate the solar collector as a part of the roof and hence to orient the roof and collector at an angle which results in the most efficient absorption of solar energy. This angle may generally be dependent upon the latitude of the locale where the solar energy collector is employed and may be 50.degree. to 60.degree. in the middle latitudes of the United States. The disadvantages of such installations include requirements that the design of the building must accommodate a particular slope of the roof, and the sloped roof must face a certain direction or exposure, usually south. Such requirements are not always aesthetically pleasing or architecturally proper for many building designs. The relatively high-pitched roof generally increases the cost of the building and may result in inefficient use of the interior space of the building since the attic space is large or the walls of the upper rooms slope radically. The single exposure of the collector and the roof necessarily result in inefficient energy absorption at certain times of the day, such as early morning and late evening, because the radiant energy does not directly impinge on the collector at these times due to the angle of the sun. Since the energy obtainable from a solar collector is generally related to its surface area, a roof-top solar collector may not be able to supply sufficient energy for use in large buildings, such as high-rise buildings, since such buildings have a relatively small roof area as compared to the interior volume in which the energy will be used. When solar energy collectors are adapted to conventional roofs, special mounting installations are usually required. These installations generally alter the shape of the building unless hidden by external design features, but these features require unnecessary and additional expense. A further disadvantage of known solar energy collectors is that they are prone toward breakage by natural elements such as snow and hail due to the upward exposure when mounted on the roof.
Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to avoid the foregoing disadvantages of known prior art solar collectors while simultaneously achieving many advantages and desirable features heretofore unknown in solar energy collectors and in their use.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for collection of solar energy which may be integrated as a part of, or used in conjunction with, a vertical or upright surface of a building.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for collection of solar energy which may be effectively incorporated in a variety of conventional buildings and building designs.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for the collection of solar energy which does not alter the shape or aesthetic appeal of a building to which it is adapted.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for collection of solar energy at a generally upright surface of a building or structure which may be arranged for very efficient absorption of radiant energy under a variety of conditions.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for collection of solar energy having transparent characteristics which may be used in a manner somewhat related to the use of a window in a building, but which does not greatly obstruct the view therethrough.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for collection of solar energy having transparent characteristics which may be used in a manner somewhat related to the use of a window in a building and which greatly reduces any radiation of the energy absorbed into a building.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for collection of solar energy which, when used as a part of or integrated into a vertical or upright surface of a conventional building, may significantly reduce the effective costs associated with construction and operation of such a building.
To achieve these and other objects the present invention generally involves a method and apparatus for collecting solar energy at a generally upright or vertical surface of a building. The apparatus may include a compartment having an exterior transparent cover within which at least one energy receiving element is located. Each energy receiving element includes a flat or other energy receiving surface for absorbing radiant energy which may be oriented for efficiently receiving radiant energy from the sun. The compartment may further include an interior cover which may be transparent, and reflective surfaces may be provided to return radiant energy to the energy receiving elements that would not ordinarily be initially absorbed by the solar energy collecting apparatus and to prevent or reduce any radiation of the energy absorbed into the building. Generally, the energy receiving elements may be oriented to be parallel or horizontal with vertical spaces between adjacent energy receiving elements or vertical with horizontal spaces between the elements. Each of the energy receiving elements may include a means for transporting the energy absorbed which may include a conduit through which a fluid medium passes. The solar energy collecting apparatus may also be used in a manner somewhat related to a window in a building to allow vision through the spaces between the energy receiving elements. Alternatively, the interior cover may be insulative and non-transparent, allowing the solar energy collecting apparatus to be primarily employed as an aesthetic element of a generally upright surface of a building. A vacuum may be produced between the covers to enhance energy collection, absorption and transportation and to facilitate insulating the interior enviornment of the building from that of the exterior environment.
The method of the present invention may comprise the steps of providing at an exterior upright surface of a building a plurality of energy receiving elements each having an energy receiving surface, and orienting the energy receiving surface for efficiently receiving radiant energy from the sun. The method may also comprise the steps of encasing each energy receiving element in a transparent cover, evacuating the space inside the transparent cover, and providing a reflective surface behind the energy receiving elements.
The features of novelty which characterize this invention are recited with particularity in the annexed claims. The invention itself, however, as to its organization and method of operation and practice, together with further objects and advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following brief description of the drawings and detailed description of the invention.